Former Onslow County Deputy Returns To Work After Road Rage Case

A former Onslow County deputy has changed his mind and will accept a position within the jail after all.

Craig Culpepper resigned last week after cell phone video of him driving his cruiser in South Carolina went viral.

Culpepper was offered a position within the jail, but declined. On Wednesday, Sheriff Ed Brown said Culpepper changed his mind and rescinded his notice of resignation. Brown says the deputy will now work in the jail.

Culpepper was never charged in the South Carolina incident.

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An Onslow County deputy has resigned after a case of what some call road rage was caught on camera and went viral.

Chad Walton, who lives in North Charleston, South Carolina, tells us he recorded the cell phone video of an Onslow County sheriff's cruiser as it was blocking traffic in the passing lane of I-526 Monday evening.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown tells WITN Deputy Craig Culpepper was in South Carolina for K-9 training. Sheriff Brown said a speeding truck came up on Culpepper's vehicle, which was in the passing lane, and began flashing his headlights and motioning for Culpepper to get out of the way.

Brown notes the cell phone recording contained profanity from the quote "irate citizen." As the video shows, Walton eventually passes the cruiser, and then more intense exchanges follow. At one point, the deputy does what Sheriff Brown calls "brake checking".

"When he cut over in front of me I said you got to be kidding me, you know, I thought that was going to be the end of it," said Walton. "Then he slammed on his brakes and caused me to rear end him. The only thing that was going through my mind was boy I'm glad I got this on video because if I didn't I'd be going to jail."

Walton called 911 and met with police and the driver of the cruiser in a North Charleston public parking lot.

Sheriff brown said no one was cited but that Deputy Culpepper was listed as the contributor of the accident. Brown says the damage to the sheriff's vehicle can be fixed for less than $100. He tells us Culpepper resigned after he and administrative staff addressed the issue with him.

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